Rohde & Schwarz R&S SMW200A - Generating Phase-Coherent Synchronous and Aligned Signals; Required Options

Multi-Instrument Setups
R&S
®
SMW200A
650User Manual 1175.6632.02 ─ 30
To trigger the signal generation form R&S SMW#1, select "Global Connectors > Exe-
cute Trigger".
Alternatively, send the remote control command :OUTPut:USER<ch>:TRIGger[:
IMMediate].
R&S SMW#1 generates a short high signal and outputs it at the USER connector. The
signal acts as a common external trigger signal for all R&S SMW and all basebands.
10.4 Generating Phase-Coherent Synchronous and
Aligned Signals
Option: R&S SMW-B9 and R&S SMW-K545
Test setups often comprise of several instruments, like, for example, multiple
Rohde & Schwarz signal generators that generate RF signals.
If your test setup requires coherent RF signals that are aligned concerning time,
phase and power level, you can use R&S NRP power sensors to calibrate the abso-
lute power levels. You can also follow the instructions listed in the other sections of this
chapter or use the possibility of option R&S SMW-K544 to compensate for all effects.
However, calibrating the phase difference, time delay difference and amplitude differ-
ence between the channels at the RF carrier is a troublesome and time-consuming
task.
You can use the R&S
®
RFPAL software to collect required correction data and calibrate
the setup. For interplay with R&S
®
RFPAL and for applying the correction data after-
wards, the option R&S SMW-K545 is required on the signal generators. When applying
correction data at the signal generators during signal generation, the resulting RF sig-
nals are coherent and aligned in terms of power level, phase difference and the time
delay.
R&S
®
RFPAL is documented separately, see the document "R&S
®
SMW-K545 RF Ports
Alignment User Manual".
10.4.1 Required Options
●
R&S SMW-K545 (on each signal generator): RF ports alignment
●
R&S SMW-K544 (per signal path): User-defined frequency response correction
●
R&S SMW-K61 (per signal path): Multi-carrier continuous wave
●
R&S SMW-B9 (per signal path): Wideband baseband generator
●
R&S SMW-B13XT: Wideband baseband main module two I/Q paths to RF
●
R&S SMW-B90: Phase coherence
●
R&S SMW-B1003 (for example): RF frequency from 100 kHz to 3 GHz
If only standard baseband signals are required, you can use R&S SMW-B10 and
R&S SMW-B13T instead of R&S SMW-B9 and R&S SMW-B13XT.
Generating Phase-Coherent Synchronous and Aligned Signals